Sela סֶ֫לַע

Sela (Hebrew סֶ֫לַע, Strong's H5553) is a Hebrew masculine noun meaning “crag”. It occurs 58 times in 52 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

H5553H: crag

H5553G: rock

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Sela, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Numbers

• Numbers 20:8
  Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.“Take the staff and assemble the congregation. You and your brother Aaron are to speak to the rock while they watch, and it will pour out its water. You will bring out water from the rock and provide drink for the congregation and their livestock.”
• Numbers 20:10
  And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock, and Moses said to them, “Listen now, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”
• Numbers 20:11
  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.
• Numbers 24:21
  And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff.

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 32:13
  He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him the produce of the field. He nourished him with honey from the rock and oil from the flinty crag,

Judges

• Judges 6:20
  And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.And the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, lay them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so.
• Judges 15:8
  And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.And he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter, and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.
• Judges 15:11
  Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.In response, three thousand men of Judah went to the cave at the rock of Etam, and they asked Samson, “Do you not realize that the Philistines rule over us? What have you done to us?” “I have done to them what they did to me,” he replied.
• Judges 15:13
  And they spake unto him, saying, No; but we will bind thee fast, and deliver thee into their hand: but surely we will not kill thee. And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.“No,” they answered, “we will not kill you, but we will tie you up securely and hand you over to them.” So they bound him with two new ropes and led him up from the rock.
• Judges 20:45
  And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.
• Judges 20:47
  But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months.But 600 men turned and fled into the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, where they stayed four months.
• Judges 21:13
  And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them.Then the whole congregation sent a message of peace to the Benjamites who were at the rock of Rimmon.

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 13:6
  When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.Seeing that they were in danger because their troops were hard-pressed, the men of Israel hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in cellars and cisterns.
• 1 Samuel 14:4
  And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.Now there were cliffs on both sides of the pass that Jonathan intended to cross to reach the Philistine outpost. One was named Bozez and the other Seneh.
• 1 Samuel 23:25
  Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.

2 Samuel

• 2 Samuel 22:2
  And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 19:11
  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 25:12
  And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.and the army of Judah also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

Nehemiah

• Nehemiah 9:15
  And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.

Job

• Job 39:1
  Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?“Do you know when mountain goats give birth? Have you watched the doe bear her fawn?
• Job 39:28
  She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.He dwells on a cliff and lodges there; his stronghold is on a rocky crag.

Psalms

• Psalm 18:2
  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
• Psalm 31:3
  For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.For You are my rock and my fortress; lead me and guide me for the sake of Your name.
• Psalm 40:2
  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.
• Psalm 42:9
  I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?”
• Psalm 71:3
  Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.Be my rock of refuge, where I can always go. Give the command to save me, for You are my rock and my fortress.
• Psalm 78:16
  He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.
• Psalm 104:18
  The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.The high mountains are for the wild goats, the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.
• Psalm 137:9
  Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
• Psalm 141:6
  When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet.When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs, the people will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 30:26
  The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

Song of Solomon

• Song of Solomon 2:14
  O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 2:21
  To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.They will flee to caverns in the rocks and crevices in the cliffs, away from the terror of the LORD and from the splendor of His majesty, when He rises to shake the earth.
• Isaiah 7:19
  And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns, and upon all bushes.And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines and clefts of the rocks, in all the thornbushes and watering holes.
• Isaiah 22:16
  What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?
• Isaiah 31:9
  And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.Their rock will pass away for fear, and their princes will panic at the sight of the battle standard,” declares the LORD, whose fire is in Zion, whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
• Isaiah 32:2
  And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.Each will be like a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in a dry land, like the shadow of a great rock in an arid land.
• Isaiah 33:16
  He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.he will dwell on the heights; the mountain fortress will be his refuge; his food will be provided and his water assured.
• Isaiah 57:5
  Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks?who burn with lust among the oaks, under every luxuriant tree, who slaughter your children in the valleys, under the clefts of the rocks?

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 5:3
  O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
• Jeremiah 13:4
  Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.“Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”
• Jeremiah 16:16
  Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.
• Jeremiah 23:29
  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”
• Jeremiah 48:28
  O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave.
• Jeremiah 49:16
  Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the Lord.The terror you cause and the pride of your heart have deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks, O occupiers of the mountain summit. Though you elevate your nest like the eagle, even from there I will bring you down,” declares the LORD.
• Jeremiah 51:25
  Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the Lord, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.“Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who devastate the whole earth, declares the LORD. I will stretch out My hand against you; I will roll you over the cliffs and turn you into a charred mountain.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 24:7
  For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.
• Ezekiel 24:8
  That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.In order to stir up wrath and take vengeance, I have placed her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered.’
• Ezekiel 26:4
  And they shall destroy the walls of Tyrus, and break down her towers: I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.They will destroy the walls of Tyre and demolish her towers. I will scrape the soil from her and make her a bare rock.
• Ezekiel 26:14
  And I will make thee like the top of a rock: thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon; thou shalt be built no more: for I the Lord have spoken it, saith the Lord God.I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread the fishing nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.’

Amos

• Amos 6:12
  Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:“Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—

Obadiah

• Obadiah 1:3
  The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks whose habitation is the heights, who say in your heart, ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).